An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network is designed for transmitting digital information, such as data, video, and voice, at high speed, with low delay, over a telecommunications network. The ATM network includes a number of switching nodes coupled through communication links. In the ATM network, bandwidth capacity is allocated to fixed-sized units of information named “cells.” The communication links transport the cells to a destination through the switching nodes. These communication links can support many virtual connections, also named channels, between the switching nodes. The virtual connections ensure the flow and delivery of information contained in the cells to the destination port.
However, if the switching nodes send a lot of traffic to a single destination port, the destination port may become congested. This local congestion of a single destination port may have an effect on the global traffic in the ATM network.